Assembly Budget Committee Vice-Chair Questions How Gov’s Budget Cuts for Blind Children Will Not Impact the Services they Receive
As the Assembly Budget Committee examines the Christie’ administration’s proposed FY 2012 budget for the Department of Human Services, Committee Vice-Chair Gary S. Schaer again questioned the decision to cut funding for services to assist blind children.
“The most troubling aspect about the Governor’s decision to cut $1.5 million for services to the blind and visually impaired is the inability of the administration to explain how these cuts will impact services.
“With the proposed elimination of 20 teachers, there must be an impact on the delivery of services to those enrolled in this program. Yet every time this question has been posed, we are told by the administration that services will not be impacted without any further explanation as to how that can be the case.
“Even more puzzling is that despite a proposed one-third reduction in teachers, the administration only expects the average caseload to grow by one client per staff member.
“The silence and questionable math coming from the Christie administration are troublesome to say the least. The families of children receiving these services deserve more detailed answers,” said Schaer (D-Bergen/Essex/Passaic).